20 New Green Zoning Laws Will Be Unveiled Next Month

It’s soon going to be easier for New York City buildings to go green. On December 12, a new set of 20 green zoning rules will be unveiled by the Bloomberg administration. The new set of rules is be aimed at removing hurdles that building owners face in implementing more sustainable technologies and practices. “This is the most comprehensive effort to sweep away impediments to green buildings in our zoning,” City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden told The Real Deal.

While Burden would not disclose specifics about the new rules, the Real Deal spoke with a member of the Real Estate Board of New York who had been briefed on the subject. The rules are expected to make it easier for building owners to install things like solar panels and green roofs, two things which can be easily hampered under the current regulations. Given that there are already many incentive programs in place to encourage building owners to green their properties, the new regulations should make energy-upgrades and sustainable practices a no-brainer.

The changes in zoning rules are much needed for renewable energy and green building practices to move significantly forward in New York City. This summer, the New York Times reported that the city’s slow bureaucracy and lengthy permit process is the main reason why homeowners are not installing solar panels. Hopefully the new rules will change this and make it much easier for all buildings, be they single family homes or high rise office buildings, to go green.